New students should cherish first days at Baylor

Aug. 23, 2004

By JEFF LEACH, student body president

To all Baylor students, whether you are returning for your sixth year, or whether you are an incoming freshman, welcome home!

For some of you, this is the first day of your college experience and you are presumably a little nervous, extremely excited and are possibly already dressed in full makeup and waiting anxiously for your first class, which starts in three hours (yes, even some guys in Penland).

Today, you should realize how truly blessed you are to be attending classes at such an amazing university.

Thousands of Baylor students who have gone before you have felt the same feelings that you are now experiencing.

They have walked the halls of Old Main, played intramurals in the McLane Student Life Center, and have attended Chapel in Waco Hall.

Those students, now proud alumni, would give anything to be in your shoes again this day. They would like to rekindle that spirit that only comes with being a student at Baylor.

Most likely today you will be overwhelmed with information.

I promise by the end of the week, your least favorite word is going to be "syllabus." Pay attention to your professors and ask good questions. They will waste no time jumping in.

But my one word of advice to all of you would be to just relax and enjoy yourselves.

I promise your professors would agree that being a Baylor student is about more than just doing well in class.

You're not going to have a test today so calm down. Get to know the people around you.

Take a deep breath, and enjoy this wonderful day. For those of you who are new students at Baylor,

I have made a syllabus of my own for you to become familiar with. This is a list of things I believe are essential to being a good, well-rounded Baylor student:

1) Visit H-E-B at midnight (you'll meet hundreds of other students there too).

2) Run in the Baylor Line.

3) Walk to class in the pouring rain without an umbrella and ruin a new pair of shoes.

4) Do whatever it takes to get a crush T-Shirt from each sorority (and someone please help me out with Chi Omega and Delta Delta Delta).

5) Participate in Steppin' Out.

6) Eat a Gut Pack from Vitek's (it must be a large, with all the fixings).

7) Visit Lover's Leap with someone special.

8) Participate in homecoming (guard the flame and build the bonfire).

9) Attend Dr Pepper Hour every Tuesday at 3 p.m. (There is no excuse for missing).

10) Stay up for at least one all-nighter in the library.

In all seriousness, welcome to Baylor for what promises to be an incredible and truly historic year on this campus.

Let's join together to make the most of it. Let's have a great time becoming part of the Baylor legacy.